Apparatus for breaking metal



No. 623,853. Patented Apr. 25, I899. T. W. WARD &, H. W. LASH.

APPARATUS FOR BREAKING METAL.

(Application filed Feb. 16, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Shoots-Sheet I.

02 \NimgssEs J: HoMi w mlfi m oRAnoW LneH THEIRHJTORNEYQ No. 623,853. Patented Apr. 25, I899.

' T. w. WARD & H. w. LASH.

APPARATUS FOR BREAKING METAL.

(Application filed Feb. 16, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 SheetsShaat 2.

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NHE STATES ATENT THOMAS WV. VARD AND llORATlO \V. LASH, OF SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR BREAKING METAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,853, dated April 25, 1899.

Application filed February 16, 1898, Serial No. 670,573. (No model.)

To all/ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, THOMAS WILLIAM \VARD, iron merchant, residing at Fitzalan Chambers, and HORATIO WILLIAM LASH, draftsman, residing at Albion Works, Sheffield, in the county of York, England, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented certain new and useful 1mprovements in Machines or Apparatus for Breaking Steel and other Metal Rails, Billets, Tires, or other Like Articles, (for which we have applied for a patent in Great Britain, No. 27,480, dated November 23,1897,) of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus by means of which metal rails, billets, tires, and other similar articles can be broken with great facility and rapidity. The apparatus comprises a bed-plate provided with a strong projecting abutment to resist the pressure to which the articles while being broken are subjected. The abutment is provided with steel surfaces or projections, preferably of tapered form or wedge shape, against which the article to be broken is caused to bear, the said surfaces or projections being preferably removably fitted to the abutment to permit of their renewal when required. These steel bearing surfaces or projections are arranged at suitable distances apart, and at a convenient distance in front thereof between the projections is arranged a hydraulic ram, the plunger of which carries a similar steel tapered projection, between which projection and the projections on the abutment the article or portion of the article to be broken is placed, so that when the ramplunger is forced out of the cylinderthe pressure of the steel projection thereon, acting on the portion of the article situated between the two projections on the abutment, readily effects the breaking of the article at this part.

Our invention will be. clearly understood by the following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l is a side elevation, Fig. 2 a plan, partly in section, and Fig. 3 an end View, of apparatus constructed and arranged according to our invention. Fig. l is a longitudinal section of a convenient'arrangement of valves for governing the admission andexit of fluid to and from the hydraulic ram.

011 a strong cast-metal base A are formed a strong abutment or strong abutments A provided with dovetail recesses Ct to receive blocks of steel B, against which the article to be broken is caused to bear. Secured to the base A is a hydraulic ram 0, which may be secured to the base-plate A by bolts passing through lugs formed on the cylinder of the ram or by a strap a, as shown, or by any other suitable means, the rear end of the said cylinder being arranged to bear against a strong abutment A standing up from the base-plate A, to resist the force exerted on the articles to be broken. The plunger C of the ram is provided with a tapered or wedgeshaped block 13 which operates on the articles to be broken at a point about midway between the blocks B, carried by the abutments A on the base-plate. For the purpose of this invention only a very short stroke of the ram-plunger C to effect the breaking of the articles, and consequently only a short cylinder, is required,which will permit of tires of railway-Wheels of the smallest diameter and similar-shaped articles to be broken being placed in the most advantageous position in the apparatus to be acted on by the block B on the plunger C of the hydraulic ram.

,When the article to be broken is placed in position between the block B on the plunger and the blocks B projecting from the abutments A water under pressure is admitted to the cylinder of the hydraulic ram, so as to force the plunger outward until by the pressure of the block B against the article the breaking of the said article is effected,whereupon the water is allowed to escape from behind the plunger C which plunger is at the same time forced inward by water-pressure admitted to the cylinder C by the passage 7s and acting on the annular surface 0 on the said plunger. Another portion of the article is then moved into position to be broken, and the operations hereinbefore described are repeated. D are antifriction-rollers to supportand facilitate the movement of the articles into position to be broken.

In Figs. 1 and 2 we have shown a railwaywheel tire I) placed in position to be broken, the said tire encircling the hydraulic ram and being in a horizontal position.

The arrangement of valves employed for regulating the supply of waterto theram consists of two valves E and F, Fig. 4E, fitted to seatsin separate chambers Gand H in a valvebox I. The said valves are normally held to their seats by a spring or springs K, Figs. 1 and 2, bearing on spindles cf of the valves, projecting to outside the valve-box through suitable stuffing-boxes g. The said valves may be forced from their seats by means of a lever L, Fig. 1, pivoted at (Z beneath the valve-box, upon which lever on opposite sides of the pivot (I bear extensions e f 2 of the valve-spindles e f, which extensions projectthrough stuffing-boxes 9 in the bottom of the valve-box I. The chamber G, containing the valve E, is in constant communication by the pipe or passage G with the highpressure pump or water under pressure, while the chamber II, containing the valve F, communicates with the ram-cylinder. 15y moving the lever L in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1 the valve E in the chamber G is raised from its seat, whereupon water under pressure will pass the said Valve into a chamber G, thence by a passage h into the chamber 11, and therefrom by the pipe or passage M to the cylinder of the ram behind the plunger 0 which is thus forced out from the cylinder to effect the breaking of the article placed in position in the apparatus, as hereinbefore described. Upon reversing the movement of the lever L the valve E in the chamber G will be closed by the pressure of the spring K, and the "alve F in the other chamber is by the further movement of the lever opened, whereupon the water will be permitted to flow from the ram-cylinder through the pipe M into the chamber H, past the valve F into a chamber F, and therefrom by a pipe or passage 1' back to the force-pump or reservoir from which the pump is supplied, while at the same time water under pressure will pass by a pipe or passage 7o from the chamber E to the ram-cylinder to effect the return of the plunger into the cylinder.

Means may be provided to prevent the ram from turning axially in the cylinder and in sure the projection Won the head of the pl unger always being at the proper position to act on the article.

Although we have described a suitable arrangement of valves for regulating the supply of pressure to the hydraulic ram, we do not restrict ourselves thereto, as various other arrangements may be provided for the purpose; neither do we restrict ourselves to the precise construction of apparatus described and illustrated, as variation may be made therein Without departing from our invention.

\Ve claim as our invention I11 apparatus forbreakingmetal rails, &c., the combination of stationary proj eetions, ar ranged at a distance apart, to receive the pressure of the article while being broken, a hydraulic ram arranged in front of and between said stationary projections, a valved box containing two chambers, one of the said chambers having a passage connecting it with the source of pressure, and a second passage leading from said chamber to the hydraulic cylinder in front of the plunger and forming a constant communication between the source of pressure and the cylinder in front of the plunger, the other chamber being in communication with the cylinder of the hydraulic ram behind the plunger, a valve in each of the said chambers, a spring or springs for normally retaining the valves closed, a lever or equivalent means for operating the valves alternately so as to cause the plunger of the ram to be moved alternately in opposite directions, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOS. \V. VARD. H. V. LASll.

\Vitnesses:

SAMUEL HoBsoN, HY. ARMITAGE. 

